Peltola campaign accused of ballot scheme involving second candidate named Dan Sullivan

The campaign of Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola is facing widespread scrutiny over allegations that it conspired to stack the state ballot with a second candidate named Dan Sullivan. According to reports from the Washington Examiner, Fox News, and Axios, the story originated from a New York Times investigation detailing a secret effort to recruit another Dan Sullivan to confuse voters and weaken the reelection chances of Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. [1][5][6][7]

The Washington Examiner reported that investigations editor Sarah Bedford called the findings completely shocking, while chief political correspondent Byron York described the report as really devastating for the Peltola campaign. Senator Dan Sullivan called the alleged ballot scheme a scandal at the highest order, accusing Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee of a secret plot. Axios reported that Donald Trump has accused Democrats of perjury, while the BBC noted that the governor of Alaska ordered an investigation into the campaign. [1][5][6][7]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Department of Justice is seeking expedited discovery in its Alaska Senate lawsuit following the revelations. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who has served as Alaska's junior senator since 2015, previously served as the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and as the state attorney general. [9][12]

Separately, Fox News reported on an internal decision by the New York Times regarding newsroom standards. Assistant managing editor Patrick Healy acknowledged during a podcast interview that the paper needed to be more discerning with political labels after law professor Josh Blackman challenged being labeled a conservative twice in one day. [2]